Pep Guardiola admits he misses Jurgen Klopp as he prepares to face his great rival’s old club in the 1,000th game of his managerial career.
But the Manchester City boss feels there can be no more fitting opponent than Liverpool as he reaches four figures with a visit from the reigning champions in the Premier League on Sunday.
Guardiola enjoyed a number of title tussles with Klopp before the German stepped away from the Anfield hotseat last year.
The Spaniard ranks those battles among the highlights of a glittering career that has included successful spells at Barcelona and Bayern Munich as well as his trophy-laden nine years at City.
“If I had to choose one rival to this milestone, I want to share it with many people. That would be the best. I have been longer than ever in this country,” said Guardiola in Friday’s press conference (via Irish News).
“Liverpool, especially under Jurgen, has been my biggest rival in this country. It could not be better, to be honest. The best in the universe decide this.
“It’s nice to live in and I know how quickly, things go here. One week ago, Liverpool had six defeats, disaster, and now they have won two, they are the best.
“I am pretty sure that all the managers have a little bit more perspective in this situation and know they have ups and downs. I have a high opinion of Liverpool right now, last season and when they were losing six games in seven. It’s the same.
“I think we push Liverpool to be better and Liverpool pushed us to be better. That’s for sure.
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“Maybe we help to create this rivalry for the last decade. Before it was United vs Liverpool, I guess. Arsenal and Chelsea as well. Here our rivals were United.
“But what happened with Jurgen Klopp period and ours is the biggest because maybe apart from my first season we always split the leagues between us. Always I said I enjoyed this healthy rivalry we had in both clubs.
“In terms of Jurgen’s side and my side, I think we respected each other a lot. Jurgen gave me a lot and I miss him.
“He gave me a lot in a sense of how to beat him, how much I had to work and think and make me better. That belongs to Liverpool and ourselves.”
